Cardinals undrafted rookie profile: LB Matthew Oplinger

Cardinals undrafted rookie profile: LB Matthew Oplinger

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Matthew Oplinger is one of the undrafted free agents trying to make the team this offseason.

Oplinger went to Yale and was one of the most productive players in Yale football history. He ended his career with the 3rd most sacks all-time as a Bulldog. This number was buoyed by his 11.5 sacks as a senior.

Looking at his Yale bio, you will see numerous awards and recognition for his senior season. Most notable among these are being a finalist for the FCS defensive player of the year award and being the recipient of the Ivy Defensive MVP award. In addition to his sack totals, this recognition was earned through his 42 tackles, 14.5 of those for loss.

As with all Ivy League players, his intelligence must be mentioned. Oplinger graduated with a degree in Economics. While this doesn’t correlate directly with football, his academic prestige should help him adjust to the NFL on a mental level.

At 6-3 and 242 pounds, Oplinger has NFL size and has been a highly productive college player. What may hold him back is his lack of elite athleticism and speed. This may limit him to a special teams role with situational defensive responsibilities.

The Cardinals have a lack of quality depth at linebacker and on the edge, both positions that Oplinger could support. This means that he has a legitimate opportunity to make it out of camp on the 53 man roster.